Sunday, September 30, 2012

Maybe
Dengar wasn't the most glamorous of figures. Maybe he didn't have
as much play value. But damnit - look at him! He's a man's man. He
doesn't care if you've been out on the trail pushing cattle and you
haven't showered in 8 days. He's been there, man.

Dengar, obviously known as one of the bounty hunters summoned by Vader to hunt down Han Solo and the bunch in The Empire Strikes Back.

Why do you want this figure? Five reasons:

1.
That scowl. You can just imagine that the galactic Time-Life series
"Bounty Hunters," says he once shot a man for snoring too loud.

3. He's got the guts to wear said armor in an Imperial star destroyer in front of the second-in-charge Imperial Dark Lord.

4. He's got a big laser rifle. I hear the ladies like that.

5. He's a bounty hunter - you need all of them.

This
figure came on an Empire Strikes Back card and later a Return of
the Jedi card (in the U.S.). Although he had a little more screen
time than some flash-in-the-pan characters, he never had a coin like
that cocky Amanaman!

Backstory:

Dengar once was an acquaintance/rival of Solo's on Corellia when they were younger. In a swoop bike race (see the Wookieepedia if
you don't know that reference) Han flashed Dengar with his burners,
scarring him for life. Dengar thought it was on purpose and set
about getting his revenge on Solo - Episode VI was originally named
"Revenge of Dengar: You Know, That One Bounty Hunter You Saw For 10
Seconds in The Empire Strikes Back." Dengar jumped at the Empire's
offer to hunt down Solo. In the course of doing so, Dengar fell in
love with some native woman and settled down. He also mellowed out
and forgave Han a bit.

His backstory is actually
much more extensive, involving Imperial cybernetic implants and
service to the Empire after his swoop crash. He later defected and
became a bounty hunter, was recaptured by the Empire and given a
choice of death or hunt for them. He was also occasionally recruited
by the Rebellion, and only really knew emotions again (he was kind
of emotionless because of his implants) when the Aruzan woman
Manaroo shared her feelings with him cybernetically. This all
happened in the novels, so let's just pretend he's still a
mysterious Marlboro Man - without all the smoke (the Empire went
smoke-free after it was found that it was almost impossible to wash
out of Vader's cape).

Saturday, September 29, 2012

You thought getting an AT-AT was cool (okay, technically that came after this one)? Well IN-YOUR-FACE! I’ve got a Death Star! Can I tell you how cool this is? I can, but you really have to experience it for the coolness to settle into your pores and take hold. Tell me Ben, what does this marvelous (dare I say, rad?) playset have to offer us? Let us count the ways, from the bottom to the top:

1. The bottom level has a trash compacter that really compacts with:

1a. “Garbage” (collapsible foam squares)

1b. A dianoga (one-eyed trash compacter monster)!

2. The second level has a trap door into the trash compactor and…

2a. Monitors and control panels.

3. Third level has a walkway and collapsible bridge for Luke and Leia to swing across with a rope!

4. Fourth level: a turbolaser to blast those pesky rebel fighters out of the sky!

5. Last, but not least, a working elevator to all floors – with a tractor beam control tower at the top! The elevator door even works! Okay, okay, must breathe. Too…much…excitement.

If
you were in England, Europe, or Australia, you could suck it
because your Death Star playsets were entirely different and made of
cardboard. USA! USA! Seriously, though, I always feel bad when I hear about things like this. Why not give them the same quality product I had? I’ve seen those cardboard Death Stars – they are not pretty.

Why should you own this set? I just gave you a TON of frickin’ reasons!

Backstory:

The
concept for the Death Star began with an idea for an expeditionary
moon, but when told to Tarkin, it eventually formed into a weapons
platform. Plans for it were seen as far back as Episode II, when they were moved to prevent the Jedi from getting them. The final design work was done in the Maw Installation, an isolated Imperial laboratory, by a brain trust. The
first Death Star was 160 km in diameter, and had countless
turbolasers and tractor beams for defense, as well as its main weapon,
the super laser. When Luke blew it up, there were an estimated 1,000,000 Imperials crewing it. Heavy.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Seen in the first movie in both the Jawa Sandcrawler and the Death Star
(the Death Star one is black), this droid is one of the more
listless figures of the original line. At least the one from the
1990’s line had a mouse droid with it.

It came with
no accessories, and had a shiny metallic finish and a bug-like head.
It was released on cards from all three movies.

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. If you own the Sandcrawler you need to fill it with as much useless junk as possible, including this figure.

2. A more bureaucratic droid I have never seen.

3. If you have a headless one, and a bodiless C-3PO, they pretty much match.

4. The shiny metallic finish is kind of cool, until you play with it too much and you see the original plastic.

5. Oh, I give up. This figure was booooooring.

Backstory:

This
droid’s official designation is the RA-7 protocol droid. They were
fairly useless droids, but the Imperial Security Bureau used them to
spy on other Imperials. Their limited use, however, caused many an
RA-7 to be disposed of or “lost” by many an Imperial Commander –
which is probably why one was in a Jawa Sandcrawler. There were so
many aboard the first Death Star that they earned the nickname “Death
Star Droid.” The similarity in body to C-3PO probably relates back
to the first film’s limited budget.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Going
back again to the original "line of 12" today, we take a look at
the Death Squad Commander. This fig came out on cardbacks for all
three movies. Soon after being released on the ESB card, his name
was changed to Star Destroyer Commander, mainly due to comparions
with Nazi Germany "death squads." However, this did not stop Kenner
or George Lucas from ever changing the name of the "stormtroopers."

The
person on the cardback has a gray uniform, but most of these type
of characters in the film had black uniforms. This fact was changed
for the re-release of this character in the 1990's line. He includes
a standard blaster (must be Imperial issue since the stormtroopers
came with it, of course Hammerhead came with it too. Hmm.)

Why should you get this figure? My five reasons:

1.
Two words: army builder. You know, one of those characters there
were a lot of in the film. Get 20 and line them down the halls of
your custom-bult Death Star interior (built in your mom's basement)
or the Kenner Death Star Playset.

2.
That helmet. If you look in the photos, the helmet slopes down like
one of those fancy bike helmets. However, the figure seems to have a
half-sphere on his head. Perfect for creating your Spaceballs army.

3.
That uniform. Chicks dig uniforms. You could also modify this
figure to be in most any situation that calls for someone with a
uniform.

4. He has a blaster - a common
one. If you ever lose it on another figure, you can easily replace
it with this one or take one from another figure. Sorry, Hammerhead.

5. How else are you going to observe the chain of command on your Star Destroyer or Death Star Playset? Death Star gunners aren't going to order themselves to fire that turbolaser.

Backstory:

Not
much backstory to this guy, just another cog in the Imperial
machine. Just one in a million Imperials. Literally. Since that is
about how many died in the first Death Star explosion.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Yes, it’s not just a playset, it’s an “Action Playset!” And it’s not just a star destroyer, it’s “Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer!” Representing the command bridge/meditation chamber/gunnery station portion of a Star Destroyer comes this playset. It
includes Darth Vader’s meditation chamber (where we see him from
the back with his helmet off), a command bridge where his
subordinates are down in the trenches flipping switches and where he
can talk to the bounty hunters, a laser cannon (presumably one of
many on a Star Destroyer), a round dais where Vader can stand (well,
the figure can’t kneel now, can he?) and talk to the Emperor on a
pink translucent “holographic” screen that can be lowered. The chamber has a light that makes the interior glow, and you can, inexplicably, hang figures by their feet from the ceiling. I don’t know if this is Vader’s alternative to Force-choking or what. The backside also has a decal showing some gripping arms, I assume to latch onto ships. It only came out in an ESB box.

Why should you get this playset? Five reasons:

1. Holding out hope for that Vader with removable helmet (that never materialized in the original line).

2. Hang figures from the ceiling? What is this, a wampa cave? That’s so ridiculous you’ve got to get it.

3. This can fit right into that full-scale Super Star Destroyer replica you made. You know, the reason your parents have to park in the driveway?

4. Have Vader communicate with the Emperor! What did you say? The Emperor figure isn’t coming out until the next movie? Screw this.

5. You can shoot at the Millennium Falcon, if it ever comes in range of your gun (and that frickin' George from Accounting doesn't get it with his tractor beam).

Backstory:

In The Empire Strikes Back, we are introduced to Vader’s command ship, the Super Star Destroyer, the Executor. The
Executor was 19 kilometers long, and sported over 5,000 turbolasers
and ion cannons, 250 concussion missile tubes, and 40 tractor beam
projectors. It was crewed by 279,144 Imperials, and contained a meditation chamber where Vader could breath without his mask. The ship was built in secret in Kuat Drive Yards and Fondor Shipyards, along with its sister ship, the Lusankya. Building was completed shortly after the Battle of Yavin.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

While
it was cool to get another Imperial vehicle to fight against your
X-Wing and Millennium Falcon, the Vader TIE (in my opinion) was kind
of a cheap attempt to do this. Mainly, the only difference between it and the original TIE Fighter was the angled wings. In the movie, the Vader TIE was “filled out” so to speak, not just attached to the wings by the pylons like the other TIEs. Yet this is how the toy looks, and creates an unbalanced ship because of the wings. The
only improvement over the original TIE was the coloration – Vader’s
is much more accurate than the white ones. This will all be
corrected when the 1990's+ line comes out.

Vader’s
TIE had a sound effect like the original TIE did, and only came in a
SW box (and an SW box with a “Collector Series” splash). The
original box says “Darth Vader TIE Fighter,” and the re-issue says
“Darth Vader TIE Fighter Vehicle.” of course, it would have nicer
sounding if it was "Darth Vader's," but that was not meant to be.

3. Make your friends sick to death of hearing the phrase “I’ve got you now!”

4. The only TIE fighter that can jump to hyperspace. So long suckers!

5. The man in black needs his ride. Oooooh, yeeeaah.

Backstory:

Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced x1 (as it is truly called) was developed by Santhe/Sienar Technologies specifically for Vader. It
had a larger cockpit than a normal TIE, a hyperdrive, and could
carry other weapons like missiles, as opposed to the lasers-only of
regular TIE fighters.

Monday, September 24, 2012

What
can I say? A figure carrying case in the likeness of Darth Vader.
holds *about* 31 figures. I use "about" loosely because if you have
the short guys (Wicket, R2, Ugnaught) you're obviously getting more
in. Other, like the Rancor Keeper - forget about it. There was also a
little compartment for accessories. Of course, whenever you open it
up, everything will go all over the place. Each row had a bar to
hold the figures in place, as well as stickers to label them. next
wave comes, however, and they're hopelessly out of date. my favorite
is the paper insert giving you a guideline about where to put which
figures. Give me some credit!

Why should you own this case? Five reasons:

1. The cheapest way to get a huge bust of Darth Vader over your mantel.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

We will now dip back into the original twelve with Darth Vader. Like Chewbacca,
the Vader figure had a relatively taller stature, in keeping with
the movies. Also like Chewbacca, Vader was another figure with no
changes (other than the card back) during the entire original Kenner
run. Darth Vader came on the original Star Wars card, ESB, ROTJ,
POTF, and another ROTJ card that had a close-up picture of his
helmet.

Because of manufacturing limitations, and
the desire to be cheap, Vader came with a vinyl cape instead of
cloth or molded plastic like the figures today. The figure is very
much in keeping with the character's appearance, and the only
accessory is a built-in telescoping red lightsaber. Some rare Vaders
exist where the lightsaber telescoped to almost twice its original
length. This proved handy in duels and Sith pornography.

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. He's Darth freakin' Vader! The man in black. The Lord who won't leave you bored.

2. Come on, who didn't need Vader for the only lightsaber duels from the original trilogy? You had to at least have him fight Obi-Wan.

3.
Despite the lack of accessories, he had the Force. Let your
imagination run wild moving other Star Wars toys and choking other
figures.

4. He had his own dedicated vehicle, and being an anal-retentive young man, I needed only the Vader figure to fly it.

5. Again, Darth Vader. Enough said.

Backstory:

If
you don't know the backstory by now, get a freaking clue. Darth
Vader was Anakin Skywalker, the seemingly immaculately conceived
whiny child born to Schmi Skywalker. He trained in the Jedi order and
forbiddenly fell in love with Senator Amidala. He freaked out over
possibly losing her, and the Emperor (then Senator Palpatine) turned
him to the Dark Side. Shortly afterwards he was wounded in a
lightsaber duel with Obi-Wan and was forced to wear his black
cybernetic suit. During this same time Amidala gave birth to their
twins, Luke and Leia. Vader ruled the Empire as second-in-charge,
while Luke and Leia grew up and joined the Rebel Alliance. Vader
killed Obi-Wan. Luke eventually dueled his father, and brought him
back to the light, but not before mortally wounding him (or that was
the Emperor's Sith lightning - up for debate). Anakin joined the
ghosts of Obi-Wan and Yoda.

About the only important
part most people haven't heard is that there is debate over whether
Palpatine is actually Anakin's father. Maybe he or his mentor Darth
Plagueis used those life-giving powers to conceive Anakin without
actually doing the dirty deed. This is mostly fan speculation, and
nothing from LucasFilm has been proposed to support this.

After Han and Leia have kids in the later novels, they name their third child Anakin.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

“Well he lived in a swamp down in Dagobah, where it bubbles all the time like a carbonated soda. S-O-D-A , soda. “ (sing to the tune of Lola).

Relive the exciting, muck-filled location where not a single shot was ever fired! Yes, Dagobah! Despite the apparent lack of action on that planet, the playset still has some interesting play abilities, including:

- Use a lever disguised as a rock and “levitate” some cargo containers (on top of some thin reeds)

- A lever through the tree house can “levitate” R2

- Use the moving pedestals to have a fight between Luke and dark side mirage Vader.

Later releases of this playset also included a backpack that Luke could wear and Yoda could sit in. This set only came in an ESB box. Owners
of this set have now come to realize that touching the spongy
material this late in its life causes it to disintegrate into a sticky
substance that clings to anything. For pete’s sake, don’t touch it!

Why should you own this set? Five reasons:

1. Really, the only time you can demonstrate the Force in the original line.

2. It’s Yoda’s home. Have a home don’t you?

3. Recreate that first interesting month Yoda settles down on the planet after Revenge of the Sith – “What the f--- is there to do around here?”

4. Probably the most play you’ll get out of your R2 figure.

5. Keep it around until about 25 years later when they finally make a darkside-Darth/Luke-apparition figure.

History:

There
were several instances of people happening upon, or surveying
Dagobah, but most met with tragedy and failure due to various
circumstances. Hundreds of years before the Clone Wars, a Sith was defeated by a Jedi, and his dark energies dispersed into the planet. This may have given the tree from ESB its dark side aura.

Yoda
chose it as his exile planet after being defeated by Palpatine
because it was missing (along with Kamino) from the Jedi Archives. It
was also teeming with native life, and had a dark side spot, all
which helped mask his presence from Palpatine and the Empire.

After
the downfall of the Empire, Dagobah was used a few times by various
students training to be Jedi to meditate, or stay in seclusion.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Back from when parents didn’t think twice about giving you any “toy” comes this monument to alcoholism. Yes, you get to play with a bar. Oh, did I forget to mention there are people smoking there too?

While this one didn’t come with any figures, you have plenty of cantina aliens to choose from to populate it with. The
playset came with a molded plastic base with foot pegs and rotating
stands to re-enact scenes like shooting Greedo first, and the
showdown between Obi-Wan and Walrus Man. The base also had the “bar” and the table where Han and Chewbacca sat. A
slot running along the back of the base let you insert the paper
background into it, and the plastic hinged doors at the entrance. This only came in a Star Wars box, which is no surprise since it couldn't have been very popular for long.

Why should you get this playset? Five reasons:

1. It’s a playset of a bar. A..bar. What were your parents thinking getting you that?

2. That Walrus Man you have with the arm that fell off? Now you have a place for him.

3. Re-create the exciting price negotiations for passage to Alderaan!

4. Something to proudly display your shot glass collection on.

5.
See those pictures of the Cantina Band on the background? This is
the closest you'll get to having figures of those in the original
line.

Backstory:

Chalmun’s Cantina was run by the Wookiee Chalmun. The
day bartender was Wuher (seen in the movie) and the night shift
bartender was Ackmena (played by Bea Arthur in the Holiday Special). The bar was originally constructed by a Tatooine pioneer as protection against Sandpeople. It was later used as an armory, flophouse, monastery, and spice den before becoming a bar. It was still in use at least 20 years after the destruction of Death Star II.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Cloud City was another one of the Sears exclusives (see Rebel Command Adventure Set, Cantina Adventure Set, and The Jabba the Hutt Dungeon) and, like the other playsets, a very cheap toy. Cheap as in quality. The
playset was nothing more than a 3-D backdrop with depictions of
Han’s torture chair, a Cloud City-scape, and the Carbonite chamber. It came with four figures, Bespin Han, Dengar, Ugnaught, and Lobot. By the way, Dengar was never shown in Cloud City. There were also plastic pegs to insert into the set so figures could be held in place.

Why should you get this set? Five reasons:

1. God knows you need more cardboard crap.

2. The only time you’ll get your Carbonite chamber. Take that, cocky Han Solo!

3. Finally, something for your Ugnaughts to do.

4. Another four figures in one shot!

5. Spring-load the base of the Carbonite chamber so you can make Bespin Luke shoot out. Yeah, that’s not a big waste of your time or anything.

Backstory:

Cloud City was built by the Incom Corporation about 2,000 years before the first SW movie took place. It was primarily built for the refining of Tibanna gas which was in abundance on Bespin, and was used in hyperdrive engines.

Cloud
City has 392 levels, with factories, luxury casinos and hotels, the
refineries, housing, local government offices, and the many
repulsorlifts that keep the City aloft. The City has
passed hands many, many times, during the Clone Wars, during a
Sabacc game (where Lando won it), during the time of the Empire and
later on.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Let’s face it, if you didn’t have a Twin-Pod Cloud Car(notice
- it will be much farther down the alphabet), you probably didn’t
have a lot of use for this figure. If you did have a Car, you wanted
two of this figure (frickin’ Twin!). The figure is based on the
pilot shown in the cockpit of the model used for the movie. A pilot
was never actually shown in Cloud City. Go ahead and watch it again –
I’ll wait here.

The Pilot came with the same
blaster pistol as the TIE Pilot, so they must have the same
wholesaler. He also came with…catch your breath…a commlink! Often
mentioned but never accessorized until now! Whew! The figure came
out on both ESB and ROTJ cards, and, as you'll notice from the
pciture, an offer for a mail-away Ackbar.

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. Gave you hope that you would own a Cloud Car some day.

2. Gave you hope that you would get another one just like it – “But Dad, the Car needs two Pilots!”

3. Only commlink ever made – at least in the vintage line.

4. Official Star Wars figure of the Tour de France.

5. Official Star Wars figure of accountants (the commlink looks just like a calculator – get it?).

Backstory:

There
is no real backstory on the Car pilots, but since the Car was
produced on Bespin for Bespin atmospheric use, it is presumable that
the pilots were hired/recruited in Cloud City, trained, and sent out
to patrol the City. For more info, check out the Twin-Pod Cloud Car entry.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Hey,
we had to get to the Ewoks sometime. After all, there were eight
figures - yes eight figures - in the original line, as well as a
playset and at least 3 vehicle/accessories dedicated to them (4 if
you include a speeder bike). Chirpa came on a ROTJ card only. Side
note: on early ROTJ figures, the Ewoks were often blacked out to
conceal the "surprise" until the movie came out.

Chief
Chirpa is just one of fuzzy little Stormtrooper-killing machines.
Yes, they had clubs and crude spears, yet somehow they took out
trained soldiers with blasters and battle armor. Maybe one of them
watched Imperial manuevers secretly and trained from that, kind of
like Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They obviously knew enough to take down a few AT-STs, including one from a deleted scene.

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. He's the chief. Do you get She's the Sheriff figures and not get Suzanne Somers?

2.
In all seriousness, the figure is molded pretty accurately to what
the character was, from the hood to the command staff (shout-out to
Admiral Ackbar!).

3. There is a whole frickin' Ewok playset - someone has to be in charge.

4. Those dark, dark eyes that you can just lose yourself in.

5. "Yub nub!" Those two words strike fear in the heart of any stormtroo, no, ha-ha, tee-hee, I just can't say it.

Backstory:

Much of the Ewoks
cartoons can, and often are, taken as canon, but we know that the
Chief had a wife (Ra-Lee) and two daughters, Kneesaa and Asha. The
two Ewok Adventure movies are often considered canon as well, since
they could have happened before the events in ROTJ - just pretend
that the evil witch is using the Force to create illusions instead
of "magic."

Chirpa's reign saw the arrival of the
Imperials, and the Ewoks alliance with the Rebels. Not much has been
said about the Ewoks post-ROTJ, but presumably they settled into a
more peaceful existence, and some of their tribe have been known to
travel the stars in the novels.

Monday, September 17, 2012

What
do you want for Christmas?! You're such a geek, you want to wear
your Star Wars heart on your sleeve. Well, how about your chest? Yes,
you've got it, the Chewbacca Bandolier Strap, which conveniently
carries your figures where any bully or two-bit thief can rip them
right off your person!

The Strap is a loving sort-of,
kind-of, re-creation of Chewbacca's bandolier, but made to carry
your action figures. Even Chewbacca's two compartments that say
"Return of the Jedi" for your weapons and accessories are on here.
Oh, wait, Chewbacca's real bandolier probably didn't say that.
Chewbacca probably wouldn't have approved of some grinning 5
year-old wearing it either.

Why should you get the strap? Five reasons:

1. Using your hands to carry your figures is just so damn inconvenient, and using your mouth just leaves a plasticky taste.

2. The foam holding your figures in won't wear out for at least, um, right about now.

3. Two compartments for your guns, command batons, and loose limbs!

4. That blonde kid on the box will be sent back to the orphanage if not enough are sold.

5.
Does it really matter which figure holder you get? None of them
seem to fit those fat guys, Rancor Keeper and Gamorrean Guard,
anyway.

Backstory:

Yes,
there's a backstory. Okay, there's really not a backstory. In the
movie Chewbacca's bandolier was a belt of power cells for his
bowcaster, and possibly other blaster weapons.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Alas,
poor Chewbacca. He's the only major figure that never got another
outfit or any changes to his figure during the entire original run.
It wasn't until the 1990's that Hasbro started making "Chewbacca as
Boushh's Prisoner," "Chewbacca on Hoth," or "Chewbacca with Farrah
Fawcett-like hair." Nope, in the original run we just get Chewbacca
with the slicked-back fur, and a bowcaster gun that doesn't even
have a crossbar.

Chewie came on the original
12-figure Star Wars back, where the figures were drawings instead of
pictures of the actual toys. Even the TIE fighter and X-Wing
pictured seem a little distorted due to the concept drawings and not
photos. Look closely at the descriptions for those two vehicles -
did "Laser Light" really need to be trademarked? Oh, and don't
forget to send away for the exciting figure stand!

Chewie
also came on an ESB card, 2 ROTJ cards (one with original picture
and one with a picture from Endor), and a Power of the Force card
with coin.

Why should you own him? Five reasons:

1. One of the tallest figures in the original line - crush those scrawny Stormtroopers.

2. Who else is going to sit in the co-pilot's seat in your Millennium Falcon? Luke? This ain't like dusting crops boy!

3.
Relive the exciting conclusion to Empire Strikes Back where Chewie
desperately tries to ignore the fact that Lando is wearing Han's
clothes.

Chewbacca
was a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk (that's no typo - it really
is 3 Y's). His father was Attichitcuk, his son Lumpawaroo, and his
wife Mallatobuck. Between his adventures with Han he got to see his
family, but he was devoted to Han because of his Life Debt to him.
Chewie incurred this life debt after Han (an Imperial Lieutenant at
the time) saved him from being killed by Han's superior officer. The
two escaped together, living the life of smugglers and eventually
hooking up with the Rebel Alliance.

Chewbacca's home life was explored a little more deeply in the atrocious Star Wars Holiday Special
that ran once on CBS November 17, 1978. In it, Han tries to get
Chewie home for the Wookiee "Life Day," while we mostly see Chewie's
family doing stuff at home. It was only shown once, and was later
denounced by Lucas, but many of the factual elements were kept for
Chewbacca's biography in the official novels and comics. There are
usually bootlegs sold on Ebay, and downloadable video on the web if
you look.

Unfortunately, around 25 years after the
Battle of Yavin (the first Star Wars movie) Chewbacca was killed by a
falling moon while saving the inhabitants of Sernpidal and Han and
Leia's son Anakin. Han blamed Anakin for Chewie's death, but later
came to the conclusion that nothing could have been done. Poor
Chewie - first no medal and then he has a moon fall on him.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

The
CAP-2 "captivator" was another mini-rig not found in the movies,
but put out to give kids a cheap one-figure vehicle to play with,
extending the original line. The CAP-2 was another unique design (they
weren't all that way). Suction-cup legs for climbing on...windows? A
pivoting front blaster; a bubble-cockpit; two front pincer arms;
and a rear capturing device that could hold a captured figure. This
was operated by a little knob on top.

Like many
mini-rigs, if you didn't have the box, or didn't hear about it
previously, there is probably no way you'd know this was a Star Wars
vehicle. It does have some Imperial-type design reminiscent of
maybe a probe droid, but nothing that strikes it as definitely Star
Wars-ish. For a long time as a child, I thought it was used for
window washing around Cloud City.

Why should you get this vehicle? Five reasons:

1. Unique. Suction-cups: what the f--- is up with that?

2. That shade of gun-metal grey. Cool.

3. The picture on the box is another example of Kenner ambiguity. So the Hoth rebel is captured on Cloud City by Bossk and turned over to the Empire? What?

4.
I always assumed (having not had the box) that it was a maintenance
vehicle for Cloud City. It always amused me that they would have
made a mundane window washer vehicle.

5. Perfect for dentists - one of the pincer claws looks just like a tooth scraper.

Backstory:The
CAP-2 is one of those rare mini-rigs that was not glimpsed in the
movies, even in some other function, and does not have a larger,
equivalent, vehicle. It is said that this ship was used by Bossk, but
this is based only on the box picture. It could easily be a vehicle
used in the Star Wars universe, but has not shown in any works
considered canon.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Remember when you actually got toys from Sears? Remember when they had the clout to make Sears exclusives? Now only Toys R Us and Target can command Star Wars exclusives (mostly) but back then Sears had a few exclusives (see Rebel Command Adventure Set, Cloud City Playset, and The Jabba the Hutt Dungeon) and the Cantina Adventure Set was one. Don’t get it confused with the Creature Cantina Action Playset, no - this one is much suckier. For one, it lacks any plastic action base – it is only a cardboard standup. It also is not technically in the Cantina, but right outside it. However, like the other Sears exclusives, this contained figures - four to be exact– Greedo, Hammerhead, Snaggletooth, and Walrusman. Snaggletooth, however, is especially infamous, because it is the rare tall blue Snaggletooth – exclusive to this set. The figure on card was corrected to be smaller and have a reddish jumpsuit. The rare Snaggletooth is the true value to this playset.

Why should you get this playset? Five reasons:

1. You can use it as an addition to the other Cantina set. Wow. More Cantina.

2. Get most of your Cantina creatures in one shot.

3. Oh man – blue jumpsuit and silver go-go boots on Snaggletooth. George Lucas must be rolling over in his grave. What? He's not dead?

4. Not only is the box recyclable, so is the playset!

5. Re-create the exciting waiting line to get into the Cantina. Velvet rope not included.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Do
you remember that scene at the beginning of "Starman" where the
alien is growing his clone body, and while in the infant stage it
looks rather...alien? It kind of looks like Bossk. Not orange like
Lady Marmalade here, but rather similarly mongoloid.

Bossk
is yet another in our long line of bounty hunters, but you know
what they say - "If you ain't Boba Fett, you don't have no lines."
Bossk's big turn in the movies was standing rather still on the deck
of a Super Star Destroyer while Darth Vader tasked him (and others)
to hunt down Solo and the gang. Wait - he did have a line - he kind
of hissed.

Bossk's head is actually a repainted
alien mask from the Cantina scene, in case you're wondering why it
looks rather familiar. Throw on some scaly arms, a capri-pant
flightsuit, and you've got yourself a bounty hunter! Bossk comes
with a rifle that is held by the forward handle - a unique weapon
for um, ah, a unique guy. The figure came in both ESB and ROTJ
packaging.

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. Bounty hunter. 'Nuff said.

2. Anyone who actually hunts down Wookiees has some balls. Show him some love.

3. Tied with Jabba for ugliest mug in the Star Wars trilogy.

4. Stylish flight suit; elegant lines.

5. Looks a lot like Lord Voldemort minus the cloak.

Backstory:

Bossk
is a Trandoshan, who when born, ate his hatchmates. Quite the
beginning. He went on to hunt Wookiees for the Empire (and sport) become
a bounty hunter, and lead the Bounty Hunter's Guild (while
fractioning it). He clashed and worked with other bounty hunters from
time to time, including Zuckuss and Boba Fett. His last appearance
was in a jail on a space station being attacked by the Yuuzhan Vong
(a later antagonizing race). No word on if he survived.

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Simple - we put up an action figure a day. If you subscribe to us, a vintage Star Wars action figure / vehicle goes to your RSS reader daily. How much more nostalgia could you want? Remember to click on the pictures to see them up-close and full-size!